Networks are separated by network relay devices such as routers, switches, and gateways. These devices and their included network interface hardware components remain powered on in a typical day. For homes and businesses there are situations where there is no one active on a network in the home or business side of a network relay device. Nevertheless, the network relay device remains powered on with its interface to an outside network active. This makes not only the network relay device accessible to malicious traffic, it makes the inside network and everything connected to it, potentially vulnerable. Firewalls are one tool used to protect the network relay device and the inside network.
One solution is to turn the network relay device off. This solution works best when there is a known time period when the first or inside network is not being used. This solution is not ideal in less predictable situations. In some situations the network relay device serves to connect devices on the inside network. Turning the relay device off when there is no traffic with the outside prevents at least some communication on the inside network in these situations. The reader will understand that “inside” and “outside” are relative terms for describing a network and its nodes from a particular perspective.
Since all these solutions require network interface hardware components of a network relay device to use energy even when there is no legitimate traffic between networks connected by a network relay device, these solutions use some energy unnecessarily. Enabling and disabling network interface hardware components to outside networks in a more flexible manner than is currently available would enhance security and save energy.
Accordingly, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer program products for enabling an operative coupling to a network.